Donors plant the seeds

CBA finishes capital campaign
with 150 percent of goals met
An outpouring of support during CMU’s capital campaign will nurture the college’s growth for years to come.

From scholarships to special programs, CBA now is able to offer more support for students and faculty. With the help of CBA alumni and friends, the college surpassed its $6.8 million goal at the outset of the New Vision of Excellence Campaign, raising more than $10 million.

“We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our donors throughout this campaign,” said Joshua Merchant, senior director of development for CBA.

Campaign fundraising priorities included: student scholarships, programming endowment, faculty development, and ongoing and special programs. In each of these areas except faculty development, CBA exceeded its original goals – sometimes by more than double.

“Their support of CBA’s mission solidifies the college’s reputation as a special place for students to learn and prepare for the future,” said CBA Dean Michael Fields. At the overall university level, CMU raised $78 million, making short work of an earlier $50 million goal and ending four months sooner than the campaign’s scheduled conclusion.

“People sense that a lot of exciting things are happening at the university, and they want to help make a difference,” said CMU Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Michael A. Leto. “The success of this campaign was truly a story of people coming together to achieve great things.”

“So many donors were instrumental in establishing scholarships, endowed faculty awards, and supporting capital endeavors,” said Merchant.

“While the college is thrilled to have achieved such success, we are continuing to look at our current needs and developing a post-campaign case statement to share with alumni and donors for future fundraising efforts.” Many donors contributed to the success of the campaign. Some examples of the gifts that already are making an impact in CBA are:

• A gift from Michael, ’92, and Julie Bowen, ’92, helped establish CMU’s first real estate development program.

• Jerry, ’62, and Felicia Campbell’s gift toward an endowed professorship will help bring greater visibility and prestige to the college.

• Tom and Vicki Celani’s donation of more than two dozen motorcycles, snowmobiles, and four-wheelers gave business students a chance to market real products, with the profits going to support a student investment portfolio and student venture capital business plan competition.

• The LaBelle family, including Bart, ’64, ’65, and Sarah LaBelle, ’90, established the LaBelle Entrepreneurial Center, which already has ranked as a top center in the nation for entrepreneurship programs.

• Scholarships will help make college more affordable for students thanks to gifts from James R. Cronin,’61; Jerry, ’62, and Felicia Campbell; Ira Kreft, ’77; Lon M., ’75, and Vicki Bohannon; Kristen L. Holt, ’94; Rod, ’77, and Nan Crawford; Charles E., ’60, and Gerry Y. Scribner; Robert L. James, ’85; Gene, ’82, and Melissa McKay; Michael, ’70
  and ’04, and Mary O’Donnell; and Kirk H. Love, ’77.

• MBA faculty will have more support toward providing a challenging and effective curriculum thanks to faculty endowments from Richard, ’72, and Mary Lou Hazleton, ’86, and Joan H., ’69, and Joseph E. Rogers Jr., ’65.

• Melanie Bergeron, ’84, together with her company, Two Men and a Truck International, created an endowment for Phi Chi Theta, a coed professional business and economics fraternity that provides opportunities for students to connect and prepare for their future careers.

• Program endowments from Caryn, ’88, and Scott Wickens, ’89, to the finance program, and from Mark, ’91, and Michelle Szymczak, ’91, to accounting and management information systems ensured that these programs will maintain their reputation for offering students high-quality academic preparation.

See a list of the capital campaign
donors (pdf)

CBA alumnus and the New Vision of Excellence Campaign
Chair Roger L. Kesseler, ’58, and ’89, announces the total
amount of $78 million raised for the university at the campaign
finale in September.